Trump left China for the U.S. on Friday, Nov. 10, after arriving in Asia on Nov. 5. She had been accompanying her husband on a tour of China, Japan, and South Korea. Although it was just a few days, this was ample time for the first lady to turn heads. Per The Sun, her pieces on the trip — dresses, shoes and all — totaled a whopping 32,000 British pounds — or a little over $42,000. That's enough to pay for one year at the average American university with money left over to cover room and board.

Trump's outfit for a state dinner in China, a black silk Gucci number designed to look like a traditional Chinese cheongsam, sent a very different message than did her predecessor Michelle Obama's fashion choices.

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While Obama was known for her love of designers like Jason Wu, she was just as known for sporting J. Crew. As a side-by-side comparison by Business Insider shows, the two first ladies have shown remarkably opposite fashion tastes — and willingness to spend big bucks — in their choice of clothing. For example, at the G-7 Summit in the UK in 2009, Fox News reported that Obama's ensemble (minus the shoes) totaled under $500. Compare that to just one piece Trump wore for the G-20 Summit in May this year — a Dolce & Gabbana jacket that cost over $51k — and you'll start to get the point.

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According to The Hollywood Reporter, Phillip Bloch, a red-carpet stylist who outfitted Tiffany Trump for inauguration weekend, said that the first lady buys her own clothes. "Melania is buying, but she does not have limited options — she is married to a rich man and can buy whatever she wants!" Designer Michael Kors also seemed to confirm that Trump purchases her pieces out of pocket, calling her "a longtime client at our New York boutique."

Obama's former press secretary Joanna Rosholm said in 2014, according to THR, that Obama paid for her own wardrobe as well. It's unclear if either first lady footed the bill for all their outfits while abroad, however. "For official events of public or historic significance, such as a state visit, the first lady's clothes may be given as a gift by a designer and accepted on behalf of the U.S. government," Rosholm said. "They are then stored by the National Archives." Laura Bush, THR reports, also paid for her own designer pieces while in the White House.

Fashion reporter Elizabeth Holmes, according to CNN, said that Obama "used her personal style to amplify her policy agenda and connect with average Americans," while the current first lady appears to be doing something entirely different with her attire. Some designers, including Sophia Theallet and Naeem Khan, announced prior to the inauguration of Donald Trump that they would refuse to dress Melania Trump given her husband's politics.

Whether this week's wardrobe wowed or appalled on the global stage, it gave an idea ofhow much money the first lady is willing to drop on her clothes. At $42,000 reportedly spent in under a week, we're assuming she's not worried about paying for her sonBarron's future tuition.